Homeward Bound

So it’s Sunday. I spent a leisurely Shabbat in Jerusalem. Here is an example of the sense of mishpocha (family) here. Laura’s Melton teacher back in Denver has an Aunt named Carol who lives in Jerusalem. Laura’s teacher told her Aunt Carol that one of her students would be in Jerusalem over Shabbat after the seminar was through, so Carol invited Laura to over for Shabbat dinner after services. Laura knew I would be staying over as well, so Carol told her to invite me, too. It so happens that Carol attends the same Synagogue I go to when I’m in Jerusalem, Kol Hanishama, in the German colony. Carol and Laura and I met at the Synagogue for services and walked to Carol’s home afterwards, in the rain. (Our prayers for rain have definitely been answered.) Carol is a very nice lady of around 80 years. I should be so lucky to be as fit as she is at that age. She lives on the 4th floor of her building, with no elevator. Carol had invited two other friends as well, but one cancelled because of the weather. We had a very nice Shabbat dinner together. How often back in the states do we invite strangers into our homes for dinner? On Saturday morning, I went to services at another Synagogue that wasn’t quite so far to walk since it was still cold and rainy. This was a much smaller congregation, and there were only about twenty people there. I even got an aliyah during the Torah service, my first in Jerusalem! Perhaps it was coincidence but there were a number of guests at the service Saturday morning, most of them from Germany, but not part of a group. They didn’t know each other at all. It was strange to hear everyone in the Synagogue in Jerusalem speaking German with one another, but I took the opportunity to practice my German with them. I think my German is better than my Hebrew. After services, I pretty much stayed indoors until nightfall when I ventured out in search of food. Mission accomplished. I found a Sushi bar near Ben Yehuda Street. Yeah! I haven’t had Sushi for a month or more. It wasn’t as good as what I usually get back home, but it was good enough. Hot Sake on a cold and rainy winter night really hits the spot. Sunday morning, I picked up a rental car, checked out of my B&B and said good-bye to Jerusalem. I headed to Tel Aviv and went downtown to the shopping district of Dizengof Street. I killed some time in the shops, got some lunch, and stopped for a cup of Cappuccino at a corner coffee shop. For some reason, the Cappuccino here tastes much better than it does at home. These Israelis really know how to make it. Regular coffee is another matter entirely. The only kind they seem to know is instant Nescafe. Go figure. Then I walked along the beach for a while before heading to the airport. The new terminal here at Ben Gurion is beautiful. It really is a vast improvement over the old one. I’m not looking forward to thirteen and a half hours in an airplane. That’s going to be the longest stretch I’ve ever flown at one time. Usually I have a stopover somewhere in Europe, but Delta now has direct flights between Tel Aviv and Atlanta. I hear the Boeing 777 is a very nice aircraft, but that’s still an awfully long flight. Once I get home, I’ll post another entry to try and sum up my experiences. Home… gosh, I’ve almost forgotten what it looks like. I hope Dufus (my cat) remembers who I am. If anyone reading this blog wants to ask me something in particular about my trip, my email address is wayne.markman@gmail.com.  It is also listed on my profile page. I’ll be happy to reply. -Wayne